My Healthy Lifestyle Change

You guys...it has officially been one year since I began my fitness journey! I have struggled with staying consistent with working out and eating right for years and I feel as though that's only because I never knew what the heck I was doing. As of today, I have lost 31lbs, 3.2% body fat and have dropped from a size 8 to a size 4. I have also gained a hell of a lot of strength and I'm very proud of myself for that. *pats self on back*

This healthy/fitness lifestyle has drastically changed my life for the better. I have gained confidence I never thought I'd have; I feel freaking amazing to be honest. Not only do I have more energy than ever before, but I'm much happier.

Progress happens over time, not over night. 

Throughout this past year I learned about flexible dieting also known as "If It Fits Your Macros." Macronutrients (also known as macros) are essentially your carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Everybody's macros differ because they are based on your height, age, weight, activity and so on and so forth. So, as long as you hit your macros, you can eat whatever you want, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be eating your clean foods.

Ever since I changed my lifestyle, I no longer feel deprived of my guilty pleasures such as cookies, pizza, and  ice cream. I feel like flexible dieting is perfect for me, but it may not be for you and thats completely okay; remember - do what works for you. 

The gym has become my home away from home, my stress reliever, and my happy place. I'm constantly trying to learn more about lifting and what else I can do to improve. My advice to you when it comes to the gym is to learn compound exercises, develop a training split, and keep it interesting with new movements so you won't get bored. 

Words cannot describe how happy I am with the progress I have made so far. My lifestyle has drastically changed for the better and I don't plan on stopping. 

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below. I am not a certified trainer/nutritionist or an expert; however, I will do my best to answers your questions. 

Helpful Links:

Basic Rules Of Split Training

The Ultimate Guide To An Effective Training Split

Your Complete Guide To IIFYM

Katy Hearn - Macro Calculator

SHOP WHAT I USE

Flexible Dieting and My Fitness Journey (So Far)

For years I have struggled with my weight. The best way to describe what I would do is diet and workout from January through August and then I would stop and repeat again in January. This happened for several years and I feel as though it was a habit I could not break.

Fast forward to January 2016, I officially gained everything I lost in 2011-2013; I felt gross physically and emotionally. My clothes no longer fit like they used to, I felt sluggish, and I would frequently get headaches. At the end of the month, I realized that something needed to change. I literally got up from the couch, set my laptop aside, changed into gym clothes, and left the house. I was fed up with feeling the way I did.

Around the month of April, I discovered Flexible Dieting by watching fitness YouTubers such as Nikki Blackketter. Flexible Dieting is essentially counting your macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat). Therefore, you can eat anything you want as long as it fits your macros. Keep in mind this does not mean you should eat junk food all day every day; you will need your "clean" foods. EVERYONE'S macros are different; they are based on your height, weight, age, current body fat %, activity, etc. So for example: your macros are 150g carbs, 50g fat, and 135g protein. I like to use the app My Fitness Pal to track my food intake and I calculate my macros here: Katy Hearn Fit - Macro Calculator

Example of what I eat in a day:
BREAKFAST: oatmeal, 1/2 cup egg whites mixed with 1 large egg, and a slice of turkey bacon
POST WORK-OUT: protein powder mixed with water
LUNCH: 1/2 cup of rice, 4-5oz of chicken, turkey, or extra lean beef, 85g-100g of vegetables.
SNACK #1: Light & Fit Greek yogurt with 2tbs of granola and/or chopped up fresh fruit and 1tbs of Jif peanut butter
SNACK #2: Power crunch bar (I like to eat these because they have 10g of fat and most days I don't get enough fat intake). 
DINNER: 1/2 cup of rice, 4-5oz of chicken, turkey, or extra lean beef, 85g-100g of vegetables.
DESSERT: 2-3 Oreos, ice cream, or cereal (depends on if I have any macros left for the day).
*Essentially, I make sure that my meals consist of carbs, protein, and fats. It is also important to eat vegetables and fruits because they contain micronutrients. You'll learn what foods work for you and what fit your macros as time progresses.

I am not saying this type of "diet" works for everyone, but it works for me and its become extremely popular throughout the years. I use the term "diet" loosely because I can honestly say I do not feel like I am on one. It has essentially become a lifestyle change. 

Throughout these past 9 months, I have lost 28 pounds and have gained muscle. I have fallen IN LOVE with lifting and being active. Never in my life would I have thought that I would love going to the gym, but nearly every day I look forward to it.

**Keep in mind this is a 9 month difference. Progress happens over time, not over night.**

Before 2016, I had no idea what I was doing at the gym; I would do random exercises for 20 minutes and spend 45 minutes doing cardio but then my boyfriend Jesse told me about an app by Bodybuilding.com called "BodySpace." You can join a program and each day you have a different exercise. One day will consist of chest/triceps, the next day will be quadriceps/calves, and so on and so forth. Its definitely great for beginners who want to learn new exercises and don't know much about lifting. They include videos too in case you need detailed instructions as well. I also watch a lot of fitness YouTubers and learn A LOT from them; they are extremely helpful and very entertaining to watch.

I am not claiming to be an expert or certified trainer/nutritionist. I just wanted to share a bit of what I know, what I'm doing, and how I got started in hopes of inspiring you.

Below are a few informative links:
About Flexible Dieting
Omar Isuf: IIFYM: My Thoughts on If It Fits Your Macros and Flexible Dieting
Emily Hayden: Beginners Intro to Macros
Food Scale: Taylor Glass Top Kitchen Scale

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below. Like I mentioned before, I am not a certified trainer/nutritionist or an expert; however, I will do my best to answer your questions. 

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What's In My Gym Bag?

At the end of January 2016, I decided to step back into the gym after being MIA for about 4 months. Since then, I have fallen completely in love with working out; I think its because I actually know what the heck I'm doing now and frequently take the time to learn about nutrition and lifting. I've lost 27lbs so far and I feel like every day is a step closer to reaching my goal; I feel amazing!

My gym bag comes along with me every time I go to the gym, so I thought I would share what I have inside of it!

1. Most days I wear my Nike baseball cap to not only hide my makeupless face, but it helps me stay in the zone. It kind of blocks people out for me and I feel completely focused. 
2. I like to keep my Champion C9 Adjustable Speed Jump Rope in my bag and use it on days where I want to incorporate it as a superset with a lift. A superset is essentially a set that includes another set or sets. Example: I'll perform on the decline leg press and then without rest, use the jump rope for 60 seconds and then rest for 45 seconds to a minute and repeat 2x. 
3. My new Adidas NMDs are everything and more. I am completely obsessed with them; however, I have not worn them to the gym quite yet, I just loved how they looked for this photo. I have several pairs of shoes I wear to the gym and I like to make sure that I am in love with them before buying a new pair; it gives me a boost of happiness when I'm wearing good looking shoes. 
4. The Fit Simplify resistance bands have become the newest addition to my gym bag. It comes with 5 bands inside a cute little carry bag. There are SO many exercises you can perform with these and incorporate with the exercises you may already perform such as squats. 
5. My wonderful boyfriend bought me a pair of Bose SoundTrue Headphones for Christmas a couple years ago and they are the most comfortable headphones I have ever had. I don't know what I would do without them! 
6. The pink metallic coin pouch is used to carry my drivers license, cash, and debit card. I like to use it for when I'm going to the gym so I don't have to carry my large wallet. 
7. Hand sanitizer is a must after touching all the equipment in the gym. I also like to keep it in there just in case I'm going straight from work and I need to eat a snack on the way there and I haven't had a chance to wash my hands. 
8. These makeup remover wipes are only $1 and get the job done. I keep them in my gym bag in case I'm going straight from work or an errand and don't feel like having makeup on my face. 
9. I recently bought a new pre-workout called Alphamine from PEScience and the first thing that came to my mind was, "Wow, I'm impressed." It gives me the focus and energy I need to train without feeling jittery.
10. Deodorant because your girl does not want BO. 
11. If you're like me and tend to break your hair ties, then I think its so important to keep an extra pack in your gym bag just in case. A few weeks ago I broke my hair tie while putting my hair up in the gym's parking lot and luckily I had ONE hair tie hiding in my car. 
12. I love love love my Ello glass water bottle. I use it every single day and it encourages me to drink more water. 
13. Another gift from Jesse was my Belkin Sport-Fit Armband. Its definitely a "gym bag essential" because I use it for every training day to put my phone in. Its comfortable and also has a little pocket in the back to put your cards or key in. 
14. My friend recommended the Fit Spirit foam rollers and I am hooked! I have been wanting a foam roller for quite some time and I use it nearly every day. If you don't know what a foam roller is, its essentially used for self-massage to help with any muscle tightness or trigger points such as knots. 

Leave a comment below if you have any questions or would like to share what's in your gym bag!